AMS Decoded: What to look for in the July 19 Council meeting

Every few weeks, your student government meets on a Wednesday night to talk about issues concerning the AMS. Agenda items can seem long, mysterious and confusing without the proper background, making it difficult to see how these issues affect students. Here’s what to watch out for in the upcoming AMS Council meeting on July 19,according to student senator Jakob Gattinger:

Budget consideration, Nest refinancing

At its previous meeting on June 28, Council approved its finalized budget for the 2017-2018 year; however, the passage was not without lengthy debate and the Finance Committee is submitting an updated version for consideration with a number of changes. Council will also be finalizing the refinancing agreement of the Nest, a deal that willalmost definitelysave the Society and students tens of millions of dollars. If approved, the AMS would have a loan with RBC rather than the university.

Sale of art

During the 2017 AMS elections, student approved the sale of up to four pieces of art from the Society’s collection. Council will now be considering the creation of a committee, to be called SHAPE (Sale of Hatch Art Planning and Execution), which will explore how many pieces of art to sell and what the proceeds of such sales would be put toward. Two students at-large, as well as a representative from the Visual Arts Student Association, will be appointed to this committee.

Odds and ends

Council will be taking care of a number of "housekeeping" items during the July 19 meeting, including the rescinding of several outdated policies, such as the ‘No Exclusive Cold Beverage Agreements’ Policy of 2006. Additionally, Council will be recommending to UBC’s Vancouver Senate the appointment of a student representative from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, as well as considering changes to its Code of Procedure.

Jakob Gattinger is a UBC student senator. His views do not necessarily reflect those of The Ubyssey.

Editor's note: The ‘No Exclusive Cold Beverage Agreements’ Policy of 2006 coverage can be found here, as well as in our archives. The Ubyssey has requested an interview with Gattinger to discuss why this Policy is being removed.